Gary Moore, a legend of blues-rock guitar and a former member of the Irish group Thin Lizzy, was found dead in a hotel room in the Costa del Sol region of Spain today (6 February). He was 58 years old.

Born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, the left-handed Moore learned to play righty. Influenced by players as disparate as Albert King, George Harrison, Peter Green and Jimi Hendrix, he joined the Dublin band Skid Row in 1969 at the age of 16.

In 1973 he signed on to play with Thin Lizzy following the sudden departure of guitarist Eric Bell. His first stint with the band lasted just four months, but he would return four years later to play on the group's Black Rose album.

After leaving Thin Lizzy for good, Moore embarked on a successful solo career, issuing a string of highly acclaimed discs, such as 1990's Still Got The Blues.